An intense line of thunderstorms inundated parts of the Morongo Basin yesterday. Coming out of the east at about 1:30 p.m., parts of Twentynine Palms north of the highway saw rain and hail turn roads and washes into swiftly moving torrents of mud and debris. Winters Road was mostly impassable from Lear Avenue in Twentynine Palms to Border in North Joshua Tree. Great sections of the road surface were washed away, buried in mud, or under water, leaving some motorists stranded with their vehicles and others with no way to get home. The storm cells, with heavy rain and spectacular lightning and thunder, wreaked havoc across the communities of Copper Mountain Mesa, Landers and into Johnson Valley with parts of Border, Reche Road, Old Woman Springs passable thanks only to the efforts of county road crews. Residents on Littlefield Road called for help about 3:15 when water started flooding their home, but firefighters were unable to reach them due to the washed out roads. About 1,000 residents were without power for hours in Twentynine Palms, North Joshua Tree, and Landers. A power pole at Valle Vista Road and Morongo Road caught on fire shortly before 9 p.m. With more precipitation predicted for today, and the increased risk of flash flooding, Z107.7 reminds drivers, to “turn around and don’t drown.”
